Otto Porter Jr. Ruled out for Game 6 vs. Raptors After Procedure on Leg Injury
April 27, 2018
Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. will miss the remainder of his team's first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors and is out indefinitely while recovering from a procedure on his left leg, the Wizards announced Friday.
Washington Post's Candace Buckner initially reported the news.
According to Buckner, the procedure is related to the bone bruise Porter was dealing with and addressed a blow flow issue in his leg.
The Wizards face a must-win Game 6 Friday night at home, so Porter's absence could be big for Washington. He's averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds and shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range in the series.
Even though Porter hasn't played particularly well in the postseason, the Wizards aren't blessed with a wealth of depth. Only eight players were on the floor for at least 10 minutes in Game 5, with John Wall playing 44 of the 48 minutes.
Kelly Oubre Jr. will likely replace Porter in the starting lineup. Oubre averaged 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in the regular season and has been solid in the playoffs, but Washington can only expect so much from somebody who has come off the bench for most of the year.
The Wizards were already facing an uphill battle to reach the second round, and Porter's injury makes that task even more difficult.